Ball-bearing.



T. HEGELMAN.

BALL BEARING. I APPLICATION FILED SEPT- IOA I917.

Patented Apr. 29,1919.

THEODOE HEGEJLMAN,

OF OAK P 2' INQIES.

menace,

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Apr, 29), T2919 a lication filed September 10, 1917. semi in. 190,422.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THEononn HEGELMAN, a subject of the German Empire, who has declared his intention to become, and has made application for citizenship in the United States, residin at Oak Park. in the county of Cook and btate of Illinois, have invented new and useful Improvements in Ball-Bearing, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

M invention relates to ball-bearings, and its object is to provide a construction of the various arts thereof that will facilitate the application thereof to a shaft or axle without the necessity of slipping it over the ends of the same and to facilitat the insertion or withdrawal of the steel balls in the holders and races of the same quickly and easily without detracting from the stability of; the parts thereof and their smooth operation. This I accomplish by the means hereinafter fully described, and as particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings: a

Figure 1 is a side view of one of my 1mproved ball-bearing unlts showlng a segment thereof in longitudinal section.

Fig. 2 is a transverse central thereof.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view of a fragment of the same showing a detail of construction thereof.

Referring to the drawings, 4 represents an section annular cone which is split into two correl sponding seml-circular parts. The diameter of the bore of this cone is, preferably, the same throughout its length, and one end portion of its exterior is screw-threaded and the other end portion of the same is conical and gradually increases in diameter as it extends from said screw-threaded portion.

An inner annular holder 5 is mounted upon the cone-shaped exterior of cone 4, and the obverse diameter of the bore of said holder engaging the conical part of said cone is such that as the coller 6 is screwed onto the screw-threaded part of the cone said holder 5 and the two halves of the same will be secured together concentric to the same center, and said holder will be forced tightly upon the conical portion of the same.

In order to enable the collar to be mounted and screwed upon the cone without going to the necessity of slipping it over the end of the shaft 'or axle to which my improvements lar so that the distance between the terminals of the remaining portion thereof corresponds to the diameter of said shaft or axle. Thus, when assembling the parts of my invention the collar is slipped sidewise over the sai shaft or axle into position and then screwed over the two halves of the cone, as hereinbefore stated. When said holder 5 has been tightened sufficiently, a set-screw 8 is tapped through the collar to retain it in place.

The perimeter of holder 5 is, preferably, cylindrical, and midway between its sides said perimeter is provided with a longitudinal runway, the concavity of which corre sponds to that of a segment of any one of the steel balls 7 adapted to travel therein.

I prefer toemploy twelve of these balls 7, and arrange them at equi-distances apart within the embrace of the two semi-circular members 9, 9, of an annular cage, which. members are bent at equal distances apart into opposing half circular off-set portions that form pockets 14 for and conform to the exterior of the balls, and are riveted or 0therwise secured together between said pockets. This cage is also divided into two semicircular sections, the ends of which form butt-joints.

The balls are surrounded and retained by an outer annular holder 10, whose width corresponds, preferably, to that of the inner holder. and it has a longitudinal runway 12 midway between the sides thereof in its innor circumference the concavity of which corresponds to the curvature of the exterior of the balls, the outer segment of which latter travel therein.

The cone, inner holder 5, the cage and outer holder 10 are divided transversely in a plane that intersects the axis of the unit, and at points on each side of the center of width of the holders the ends of each semicircular section are secured together to form a butt-joint by tangentially disposed screws 13, 13. The axes of the openings 15, 15, in which screws 13 are seated are concentric to sectors connecting points located at equal distances from the ends of each semi-circular section of said holders, andthe outer portion of the length of one of each alining pair of openings is wider than the remainder thereof so as to provide a deep countersink in which the head of each screw is buried when screwed as far as it will go into the screware applied, I remove a, segment of said e01- threaded openings in the abutting ends of the companion sections. These screws are located on each side of the runway of each holder, substantially as shown in the drawings, and do not interfere with'the passage of the balls at all.

In view of the possible vibration of the balls, it is advisable to expand the runways, that is, make them wider and deeper, as at a: at the ends of the sections of the holders so that the balls float past the butt-joints. This feature insures a continuous smooth movement of the balls and avoids the possibility of the balls bein subjected to a blow every time they pass t e butt-joints, and thus 1nsures the durability of the bearings.

In operation, the parts of my invention can be easily assembled and very easily disassembled. All that is necessary is to screw the two sections of the inner holder around the cone, surrounding the inner holder with the two sections of the cage so that the balls thereintravel in its runway, and then surround the cage full of balls with the two secv tions of the outer holder so that said balls travel in the runway in its inner circumference and then screw the two sections of said outer holder together.

What I claim as new is:

1. A ball-bearing unit comprisin an inner holder having an outer circum erential race, an outer holder having an inner circumferential race, an annular ca e interposed between said holders, and alls retained thereby that travel in said races;

said holders being divided into sections, and the end portions of the races in said sections being made deeper and wider, and means for securing the sections in circular relation. 7

2. A ball-bearing unit comprisin an inner holder having an outer circum erential race, an outer holder having an inner. circumferential race, an annular cage divided into sections and which are interposed between said holders, and balls retained thereby that travel in said races; said holders being divided into sections the length of each of which is less than one-half of the circumference of the holder of which it forms a part, and the end portions of the of each of which latter is less than one-half of the circumference of the element of which it forms a part, balls revolubly retained in said cage that travel in the races in the opposing circumferences of said holders, means for securing said sections of said holders together, and a substantially U-shaped collar the distance between whose ends is greater than the diameter of the shaft upon which said cone is mounted and which is adapted to be screwed over and secure the sections of the cone together.

4. A ball-bearing unit comprising a cone divided into sections the length of each of which is less than one-half the circumference of the shaft upon which it is mounted, an inner holder mounted upon said cone having an outer circumferential race, a substantially U-shaped collar the distance between whose ends permits. it to be slipped transversely on the shaft on which said cone is mounted and which is adapted to be screwed upon said cone, an outer holder having an inner circumferential race. an annular cage inter- THEODORE HEGELMAN.

Witnesses:

A FRANK D. THOMASON, FLORENCE MITCHELL. 

